Car Key Replacement Chelsea Lost Car Keys Made
Our car key replacement service covers Chelsea and south west London: when every key is lost or stolen we come to the car, cut a new key and program it to the immobiliser on the spot, usually arriving within 30 minutes in SW3 and SW10. A new key when none are left costs £75 to £140, with no call out fee and no tow to a dealer. Call 07520 643913 with the registration so we can confirm the make, model and key type before we travel.
- DBS checked locksmith
- Public liability insured
- Over 5 years working in Chelsea
- Price agreed before work
- No call out fee
Lost car keys in London: what to do in the first hour
- Retrace the obvious places. Cafe tables on the King's Road, the gym locker, the coat you wore yesterday. Ring any shop or restaurant you visited; staff often hand keys in.
- Decide whether they were stolen. If a bag was taken, report it to the police and get a crime reference. Your insurer will want it, and it matters if the thief also has your address.
- Check your car insurance. Many policies cover lost or stolen keys. Ask whether they want a receipt from a locksmith or insist on the dealer.
- Find your V5C. We need it, or a lease or hire agreement, plus photo ID before making a key.
- Call with the registration. We tell you on the call whether we can make the key at the roadside and what it costs.
If your house keys were on the same ring, the car is only half the problem. Anyone who finds them with a letter or a fob from your building could get into your home. Our lost house keys service changes the door locks on the same visit.
How we make a replacement car key with no original
A modern car key has two parts that both have to be right. The metal blade, or the emergency blade hidden inside a smart fob, has to turn the locks. The chip inside, called a transponder, has to be recognised by the car's immobiliser or the engine will not start even though the key turns.
The blade
Without an original to copy, we cut the blade to the manufacturer's code for that lock. On many cars we can read the code from the car itself; on others we decode a lock to find the cuts. Either way, the key is cut in our mobile workshop next to the car.
The chip and remote
We connect our programming equipment to the car's diagnostic port, normally under the dashboard, and register the new key with the immobiliser and the central locking. On some models this needs a security code that we read from the car; on a few, the code only comes from the manufacturer.
The test
We start the engine several times, lock and unlock every door and the boot from the remote, and check the blade in the driver's door. You only pay once all of that works.
Lost car key prices
Confirmed on the phone before we travel, with no call out fee; the lower figure is a daytime job on a common model.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| All car keys lost, new key made Blade cut to code, chip and remote programmed, lost keys erased where possible | £75 to £140 |
| Second key on the same visit Cut and coded while the car is connected | £50 to £90 |
| Car lockout if the key is inside When the key is locked in rather than lost | £40 to £65 |
Prices include parts and labour. The lower figure is a standard daytime job, the higher figure covers nights, weekends and high security parts. Your exact price is confirmed on the phone before we travel, with no call out fee. See the full Chelsea price list.
Removing the lost key from the car's memory
Most cars store a list of keys allowed to start them. If the lost key is still on that list, whoever has it can still use it. When we program a new key we also wipe the old ones from the car where the model allows it, so the missing key stops opening the doors and stops starting the engine.
Why this matters on Chelsea streets
Cars here are often left on the same residents' bay outside the owner's home every night. A stolen key found near your address leads straight to the car. Deleting it is the single most useful thing a replacement key job does, and we tell you plainly if your model does not let us do it.
If the car itself has been tampered with, for example a forced door lock, see our car door lock and ignition repair page as well.
Key types we program, from basic transponders to smart fobs
| Key type | Where you find it | Usually made at the roadside? |
|---|---|---|
| Plain blade with transponder chip | Older hatchbacks and vans | Yes, in most cases |
| Flip key with remote buttons | Most cars from the 2000s and 2010s | Yes, in most cases |
| Remote key with separate blade | Many family cars and SUVs | Yes, in most cases |
| Proximity smart key, push button start | Most newer cars | Often, depending on the model |
| Newest smart keys on locked systems | Some recent premium models | Sometimes dealer only |
Because the same badge can hide three or four different key systems across model years, the registration is far more useful to us than the make alone.
Replace a lost car key with us or with the dealer?
The dealer route usually means the car goes to the workshop on a low loader because there is no key to drive it, the key is ordered from the manufacturer against your V5C, and you collect the car days later. You pay for the tow, the key and the labour, and the total is usually higher than ours.
With us, the key is made at the kerb where the car is parked, normally in one visit. The exception is a model whose key system is locked to the manufacturer. When that is the case we tell you on the phone and do not charge you for the call. For prestige makes, our page on Range Rover, BMW and Mercedes keys goes into more detail.
Where we replace car keys around Chelsea
We work from Chelsea SW3, which puts us close to cars in residents' bays, mews garages and the car parks at Chelsea Harbour. Cars in South Kensington, Earl's Court and Fulham are usually 20 to 40 minutes away, and Putney or Hammersmith 30 to 50 minutes. We confirm the time on the call.
Car keys are just one part of what we do. See our car locksmith page for every vehicle job, or the main list of Chelsea locksmith services for homes and businesses. Prices for every job are on one published price list.
Once the new key works, get a second one
Leaving with a single key puts you back where you started. A second key made on the same visit costs less than the first, because the car is already open and connected. Ask for it on the phone and we include it in the agreed price. Read more about a spare car key and remote.
Keep the second key somewhere other than the hallway. A drawer upstairs or a signal blocking pouch is better than a hook by the front door, and it means a lost key on a night out is an inconvenience rather than a £140 bill. Write the registration and our number in your phone notes so the next call takes thirty seconds.
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace a lost car key in London?
With us a new key when none are left is £75 to £140, cut and programmed at the car with no call out fee. The exact figure depends on the key type and the time of day, and we confirm it on the phone.
Can a locksmith make a car key without the original?
Yes, for most models. We cut the blade to the manufacturer's code and program a new chip to the immobiliser through the diagnostic port. A few newer models only accept keys supplied through the dealer, and we tell you that before travelling.
Will my lost car key still work after you make a new one?
On most cars we remove the missing keys from the car's memory while coding the new one, so the lost key no longer starts the engine or opens the doors. If your model does not allow it, we say so.
How long does lost car key replacement take?
Once we are at the car, most jobs take around an hour from cutting the blade to the final engine test, though some models take longer. Arrival is usually within 30 minutes in Chelsea SW3 and SW10.
Is car key replacement covered by insurance?
Many motor policies include lost or stolen keys, sometimes with an excess. Check your policy and ask whether a locksmith invoice is accepted. Ours shows the work done and the price.
Do you need the car to be unlocked to make a new key?
No. If the car is locked and the key is gone we open it without damage first, then make the key. That is all part of the lost key job, not an extra lockout charge.
Related pages
Lost every key to your car?
Call 07520 643913 with the registration and we will confirm the key type and price before we come out.